Stockton started the game with the same starting line up from last weeks victory over Alnwick Town.
However our first venture in the FA Vase ended with this one nil defeat at Sunderland RCA, after an extra time late penalty, after the first 90 minutes had ended goaless.
Stockton started the game brightly and had the best of the play in the first half, Kevin Hayes had a shot saved by Jonathan Carmichael the RCA keeper and then sent a left footed effort that flew past the upright.
Carmichael was in action again saving from a Chris Dunwell shot following a free kick taken by Joe Scaife Wheatley and then Dunwell hit the post with a header and the RCA defence scrambled the ball away for a corner.
The best that Sunderland RCA could muster in the first half was a shot from Stephen Callen that Michael Arthur saved easily.
The second half saw RCA on top in the early exchanges and Stockton were struggling to contain the RCA team who throwing more players forward, looking for a decisive goal, but Michael Arthur was equal to everything RCA through at him.
Stockton managed to settle agian after 15 minutes and Chris Stockton went close with a breakaway, with only Carmichael to beat he put the ball just wide of the post.
As the half progressed It was RCA who were the more attack minded of the two sides and it took a brilliant stop from Arthur in Stockton’s goal tipping a Michael Charlton shot over the bar to keep the scores level, then a late Clayton Davies shot went into the side netting.
Then in the final moments Stockton almost won it when Kev Hayes cross flew across the goal and the flying Tony Johnson only just failed to connect with it.
The tie went into extra time it was Stockton again having the best of the first half, Scaife Wheatley was again the provider of a fine cross that Tony Johnson was only inches away from turning the ball in from close range.
It was the RCA Keeper Carmichael that then produced an outstanding save to deny Stockton when he tipped Fred Woodhouse’s drive over the bar.
Both sides were tiring in the second period of Extra Time, some slack defending from a RCA throw allowed RCA to create space on the edge of the box and as Adam Nicholson tackled Stephen Callen on the edge of the penalty area. Up stepped RCA Captain Colin Larkin to put the ball out of the reach of Michael Arthur who went the right way but to no avail.
Stockton pushed players forward in the last 10 minutes but they couldn’t find a way through the RCA defence with the final score remaining 1 0.
Well done to RCA and I think we will all agree we have had a fantastic time in this competition and can’t wait for it to start again next season.
